Mechanism for collecting and condensing cotton



1. c. GARNER, MECHANISM'FOR CQLLECTING AND CONDENSING COTATON.

APPLICATION FILE) FEB. 3. 1920.

WLF j 1 U W6 G Mm. M LnA 1. C. GARNI-IR.

MECHANISM FOR COLLECTING AND CONDENSING COTTON. APPLICATION FILED FEB. a, 1920.

1,469,540. Patented Mar. 145., 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR UNITE@ PATENT' JAMES O. GARNER, or HOUSTON, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR. Bv NESNEASSIGNMENTS, TOQTHE GARNER GIN COMPANY, INC., vOF HOUSTON, TEXAs,`A CORPORATION or TEXAS.-

Leognan MEOHANsM FOR OOLLEOTiNG. nNn-ooN-nnNsrNe COTTON.

Specification 0f LettersPatet.. Patented Mar. 14,- 1922.

A ppiictimi mearebruary 3, i920. s'eriai N6.' 355,934.

T0 all whom it may con-cem.'

Be it known that l, JAMES C. GARNER, a citizen of the fl-lnited States, residing at Houston, in'tlie county of Harris and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for ACollecting and Condensing Cotton, lof which Vthe followingis a specification, referenceV being had therein to the accompanying'drawing',

This inventiony relates to improvementsin the mechanisms which are used in treating cotton to separate the` fibers fromstreain's of air. For many purposes tliecottonis pneumatically picked up at one pointfor another, andconveyed' througli -ducts toV places Where it is to be stored, or to places where it is to be subjected to theactionljof machinery. .It must be separated from the air at whatever points itis to bedeposited. And machines' have beenl designed for this separating work which haveincluded rotary Screen drums, each arranged so thatvtheV copiously through the screen at points in the central:A transverse planes, while relativelyi smaller quantities move throughthe screenA atJpoi'nts in the transverse vplanes .near thek ends. This resultsin the depositingl of varying quantities of cotton ron the screen, and informinva bat of varvin'o thickness. i

#D Y v b One of the objects .of the present 'invenv` tion is to provide a 'mechanism (including Such a screen drum) which willcausethe air to be uniformly distributed over the screen surface from end to end of the drum.

Another object is to provide a. simple andV durably constructed separator, which will require only light and inexpensive parts, buty which whentli'e parts are assembled will .bef rigid throughout, und. will insure a Ymore thorough separating of the cotton from the air than has been the case with earlier mech-A anisms. Y

Iii-the accompanying drawings I `have shown one form 4of machine which embodies my improvement.

Fig. l' isa view thereof vation, partly in vertical section. Y

Fig` 2 isa vertical transversesection on the lines 2 2 of Figfl.

Fig. .Ljis an end view of the parts 'shown in Fig. 3. Y

Q 5 a face `vi'ewof the parts providing an exit for the air'afterit p from the cotton, and alsoproviding anY inlet for another body of vairiby whichcotton is dislodged from the screen.`

. Fig. 6 isa perspective of'a section of the screen and adjacent supporting devices;

In `the' drawings a gduct` forgincomingzair and cotton is shown at 1l thec'asing S'w'hiclfiV has tlielarger section 33 a smaller? section' 8", and ani'ni'vard turned;

section 3d at the end of the part' V371.

Withinthe casing there isa drum orcyli`n der,- indicated asHa-whole by 4' and comprising a screen 5 and supporting devices. vItis partlyin sideele-v r Fig. 3 is a view of the bat-forming rolls'.`

hasbeeri separated l 2 isthedeliverymouth of this duct. It communicates with carriedjby thecent-ral shaft' which, at its* ends, is mountedin the bearings 7 75, carlried by the standards, v8, 8a. Intermediate of the shaft V6 and the cylinder 5, and conVI` 'nected to the latter, are annular heads 9 and spiders l0, thel latter being secured' to ih'ubs ll, which are fastenedto the shaft 6, On'

tlieannular heads 19 are 'circular flanges or` ribs 12, concentric with theaXis. 13,13. are ribs'parallelto the aXis and-extending from*l end to end of the drum. Each'of thesefi's preferably formed by bending a-kv sheet of soA light metal sofasfto double' and provide arib'wliich is V-'shaped in crosslsection. Of these VV-shaped ribs 1 3 there are a suitable number. uniformly distributed around the airis. :The inner edgesjof the -sidev plates of each rib are-,-`at their endsf,ittedupon and rfastenedY to .the aforesaidcircular:flanges-12,'l l pro] ectinginward from' the Y annularheads- 9g" 14., '14` are rings or hoop'sof WireV extending around .the drum and vsupported upon the 'V outer edges of the ribs 1,3, they being fitted in seats or recesses therein.

therev being such number of the rings as' to give a firm support for the screen and hold .it

rigidly in stretched cylindrical vconformation. The rings lltniay be 4formed by .coil-- v l Y Upon 'these' Y hoops or rings 14 is fitted the screen4 cloth 16,

Y drum, and adjacent to the bearings 7 7 of' ing a single wire around the axis a sufhcient number of times to provide the required screen support.

Inside of the cylindrical part of the drum and at each end are a series of'trough-like devices, those at one end being indicatedby 17 and those at the other end by 17 n. Each is formed by bending a sheet of metal to provide the two walls 18, 18a and the connecting wall 18h. The connecting wall 18b of each trough slopes Vdownward from the innerfend 19 to the outer end 20. The edges at 21, 21a of each trough are connected to the inner edges of alternate ribs of the series at 13 above described. If these elements of the mechanism are formed of sheet metal the edges of the trough walls can be crimped with, or otherwise secured to, the inner edge parts 13a of the ribs 13. At 22 the connecting wall 18b of each trough is turned laterally toy provide a lip` or flange, and by'this the trough is secured, at the center of the drum, to a disk or spider 23, having a `hub at 24 which is fastened tothe shaft 6. Considering the entire series of troughs around the axis, it will be seen that they may be regarded as constituting a deeply corrugated cone; and

that there is one such structure axially arranged inside of each end of the cylindrical part 5 of the drum..

And it will be further seen that when the above elements of the mechanism are assembled there are formed a large number of air ducts leading from the' annular chamber 25, (around the drum), through the screen 5,

y then through lthe radial spaces between each rib 13 and the next, and then through the passages provided by the trough-like devices 18, 18a and 18h, just described,'to the openings at 26 in the spiders orheads at the ends of the drum. The air ducts at both ends of the drum,L

during part of each revolution, registerrespectively with the outlet openings 26a in the end plates 55, adjacent the lhoods 27 which are positioned outside of the ends of the shaft 6; v Y

The hoods 27 `communicate with, and de,- liver` air to, an outside duct-28. VIf suction is depended on the duct 28 extends to a suction fan. Y Y

Fig. 5 shows the aforesaid cut-off plate 55, it having a bottom segment shaped part 56, and an .upper circular part 57 extending around the air outlet port 26a. At 58 there is avgroovewith a packing. The groove and packing extend Varound the upper ringlike part 57 and down tothe plate part 56. They then extend inward to plate 59 toward the axis. Y At 60 there'is a ring secured to the drum headV against which the plate with the packing isfitted. And a sealed joint isformed to prevent the intake of air. part 55 is attached a hood 27. l

The aforesaid inward turned Vpart 3d of the To the casing 3 cuts off to some extent the air chamber of the duct 25. But the throatway 28 is positioned another roll 30. The latter is ar' ranged to tightly close the slot or throatway at 31 between the drum surface and the edge of the wall 32 of the duct 33. Through this duct the collected cotton escapes from the outer surface of the drum. The opposite wall of the escape passage or duct is indicated by 34 and the end walls by35.

The roll 29 is formed of a tube 36 carried by a shaft 37, there being between the .tube and the shaft a spiral spring connection 38. The tube rwill be rotated by the shaft, but at the same time will be flexibly positioned so that it can yield when necessary during its rotation. To one end of the shaft 37 is secured'a belt wheel 39, the other end carrying a small gear wheel 40. Power is taken from this Awheel through an intermediate wheel,

43 to the wheel 41 on the shaft 42, which car-i` ing from the belt wheel 39 to the sprocket;

wheel 47 on the shaft 6, constitute a simple driving mechanism giving the proper movements and relative speeds for the parts, and drive the active parts of the two rolls 29 and 30 and the surface of the screen 4 in proper relations. The cotton vwhich is carried around on the screen surface in the chamber 25 is guided by the inward turned part 3d of.

the casing to the inner or active part of the Y surface of the bat roll 29, it being gradually compressed as it approaches the roll, and it y .f

is then forced between the screen surface and the'roll, this being accomplished without any entrance of air notwithstanding the move- Y ments of these parts. A hoodv or box cover` 3e may beused to entirely enclose thespace around the rolls and insure their being posi- A tioned in adead air chamber. l

By supporting the drum inthe way described andY mounting its shaft 6 in bear-V ings which are supported on brackets or"` standards such as described.- andl securing the latter tothe bottom `or base 61- of the structure 1 am able to place the bearings on the outside ofall the `p aths of the incoming' and outgoing kair currents, and the tendency for air to be drawn in through the journals is overcome. At the Sametime the journals are left free for oiling and 1 am `able to apply driving power to the drum shaft at one point as by the usel ofra singleV sprocket.

The parts above described which are po? sitioned in the interior of the drum cause the stream of air entering froml the duct .1f-to divide ,into two streams, and the air and cotton in these are distributed uniformly over the screen surface from the central transverse plane to the ends. lEarlier separating drums in machines of this class have v been so made that ofthe total amounts-ofy cotton deposited in a given time, those deposited on `the screen in the central transverse planes were considerably greater than those deposited in the transverse planes'of the end .parts of the drum. Consequently the bats that were formed were uneven and varied considerably in' thickness along their transverse lines.

`'But in the present mechanism the double cone-like element inside of the drum presents resistance ,to the air at the central parts of the screen whileat the ends the f air goes through more freely; and this air, after. passing through the screen, turns, in its path and travels on axial lines, toward the outside ductsfThat is tosay,I combine with the drum means for increasing the resistance to the` air, through the drum, from transverse planes at the ends of the drum, along axial lines, to the transverse planes of thecentral parts thereof. Y

The same devices in the interior of the drum divide the inclosed space or chamber at each end into two sub-chambers. The upper sub-chamber may be regarded as extending from one terminal 26b of the outlet port 26a around to the other terminal, and through this sub-chamber the outgoing air passes after it has deposited the cotton. This subchamber is itself divided up into the plurality of ducts or smallerl chambers above described which are cut off from each other. As the drum rotates the outer open ends of these ducts, during part of each revolution, as above noted, travel successively in communication with the exit opening-26a. During the other part of each revolution they successively travel across the axial lines of the plate56. This plate, togetherV with the traveling walls 18, 18a of the rotating ducts form the other sub-chamber 49, referred to, which (not having air communication with the upper sub-chamber, and therefore being a dead chamber) permits the dropping of the cotton from that part of the screen surface which is opposite thereto, as will be more fully described.

YVith the parts in the interior of the drum, and with the cut-oif plate 55, other parts, exterior to the drum, co-act in forming the sub-chambers (one for outgoing air, and the dead chamber). Thus the duct 25, which extends around the greater part of the screen, is cut off from thel external air, at one end by the roll'29, as above described, and at the other end by the casing section 3b, the

point 48 of which is close to the outer' sur? face of the screen. These external cut-offs and thelv casingfwa'll are so lpositionedetha-t .the interior dead air'sub-chainber 49 isv immediately opposite to the deliveryduct 33;

When the cotton collected' on the surface of the screen is composed of heavyor coarse fibers the vlayer that r`passes ktherolls 29 and 30 will have so little adhesion tol the screenA surface that it will drop, under the action of gravity alone, when it reachesthat part of the cyclelwhich is between vthe dead .air chamber 49 and the cotton withdrawing, duct 33.

But when the cotton is' composed of fibers which aref fine and light' it is frequently causes the dislodging from that part ofthev screen surface of the cotton which has been collected thereon and has been'compressed by the -bat rollersv29 and 30.

Y Whenffsuch al stream of lair for dislodging the cotton is used it maybe forced through the duct 50 by a supplemental pressure fan; or it may be taken from the air which, after separating from the cotton, passes out through the outlet passage 26a.

The screen after the cotton is dislodged passes on around the axis toward the'duct 25, and is ready for another cycle of cotton separating work.

The air which initially comes to the machine and carries the cotton may be forced through the duct l and through the screen by an outside pressure fan; or it may be drawn through the mechanism by a suction fan; or both pressure and suction can be combined if occasion requires.

What I claim is:

1.L The combination of the casing, the screen therein, an exhaust duct at each end t of the casing, the supply duct delivering air and cotton to the central part of the casing,

screen for dividing the space surrounded by it into a sub-'chamber communicating with the last said duct, and a second sub-chamber, a cotton receiving duct communicatlng,

through the screen, with the second subchamber, rolls arranged to form a cut-oftl between the surface of the screen and the walls of the aforesaid outside air chamber and to form a cut-oi between the cotton escape duct and the adjacent surface of the screen.

3. In a machine for separating cotton from air, the combinationof a screen, means within the screen for dividing the space surrounded by it into two sub-chambers, a duct for taking air from one sub-chamber to the outside of the screen, and means for taking air from the outside of the screeninto the second sub-chamber, a duct for supplying cotton and air to that part of the screen which is opposite the first sub-chamber, rolls for pressing against the cotton on the external surface of the screen, and an escape passage for. the cotton radially opposite the second sub-chamber- 4. The combination with the screen, a casing providing an air chamber extending part-Way around the surface of theV screen, means for supplying cotton and air to said chamber, an escape passage for the cotton which is removed from the surface of the screen, and rolls arranged as described to close air-tight the end of the air chamber and to close air-tight the upper-end part of the sidewall of said escape passage.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a rotary screen, pneumatically acting devices for supplying cotton to one part of the surface of the screen, means for receiving cotton which is removed from another portion of said surface, and a spring held roller arranged to bear against the cotton on the screen and positioned betweenthe last said means and the end of the firstsaid part of the screen.

6. In a machine of the class described the 'combination of the rotary drum screen, av

JAMES c. GARNER. 

